Joe Louis. Was he a little bit "special" in the intellectual sense?

I wanna see that exchange. Is it on youtube anywhere?

 

No one is suggesting that Joe Louis was ******ed.
A person can have a mental condition and/or learning disability and function and look perfectly normal.

 

I admire your dedication :good

 

well thank you:hat

 

Have you never seen the Richard Prior bit about Leon Spinks 'what you do for a living Leon'? 'I knock people the **** out'... 'dont need a college eduction for that'!

 

I think if you understand the climate at that time, you would see that America liked their black champs to be quiet and subservient. If he said anything on his mind, he'd be breaking into Ali's territory.

 

Yes, but it isn't always necessary to diagnose things that aren't there just to do it or to perpetuate stereotypes.

 

Riiiight. Jazzo, a known provocateur, had no intentions of stirring the pot with implications of ******ation in the phrasing of his title & OP.

 

Listening to your trainer and doing what he says, asking him for feedback then following it, these are excellent qualities that too few top boxers display. In this respect, if Louis was not smart, then it actually probably helped him more than hindered him in the ring.

Besides, like others have mentioned, he was pretty good with some off-the-cuff one-liners. You can't do that if you're ******ed.

 

Ali,
"Hey Joe I had a dream I could beat you"
Joe, "You go back to sleep and apologize to your dream"

 

There was an ongoing friction between Ali and Louis from early on in Ali's career. I'd read about it years ago but can't remember what started it (Ali's big mouth, more than likely. Probably called Louis a bum during a rant)

 

Louis didn't like Black Muslims nor did he agree with Ali's stance on the Vietnam War. Remember that Joe Louis was in the army for 4 years.